Usually, ambassadors have to do things, even if those things are ceremonial. They have to leave the house, talk to people, advocate for causes, and attend to various other duties. Kate Bush did not attend her Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction last year, so it seems extremely unlikely that she will do any of these regular ambassadorial things. But she’s still been appointed official ambassador for this year’s Record Store Day UK.

According to the Record Store Day UK website, Kate Bush, in her capacity as ambassador, will “champion the special and unique culture of record shops all over the UK and celebrate the art of vinyl.” The site does not specify how Bush will do these things, but she is coming out with a special 10″ version of her 1993 song “Eat The Music,” which will only be available at independent UK record stores. She’s also issued a surprisingly long statement. Here it is:

What a huge honour to have been asked to be Ambassador for this year’s Record Store Day. It really is a great privilege. Isn’t it great to see how the resurgence in vinyl has taken the music industry by complete surprise? It had decided to leave vinyl far behind, but it would seem that not everyone agrees! I love that!

I know there are many, many artists who are just as excited to see the audience turning the tide. In the same way that some people like to read a book on Kindle but also want to have a book as a physical object, a lot of people like vinyl and streaming. Both have different appeals.

The added bonus of vinyl is that it encourages people to listen to albums. An art form that I’ve always thought can be treasured in a unique way. An album on vinyl is a beautiful thing, given a strong identity by its large-scale artwork. There’s a much more personal connection with the artist and their work.

It’s been fun putting designs together for some of the previous RSDs. This year’s design echoes the cancelled release of “Eat the Music” as the first single from the album, The Red Shoes. The image was intended to be on the cover of the single bag and is now on the disc as a UV print.

The title, “Eat the Music,” is meant to be a playful nod to “If music be the food of love, play on,” from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

Each year Record Store Day gathers more attention, more momentum, and attracts more people who cram into indie record stores all over the world to see what’s up. What’s new?

This year, I hope you have a fantastic time at this very important event, and that you get to celebrate music that’s been specially released for you.

Very best wishes,

Kate

This year’s Record Store Day goes down 4/20.